abdomen: the third and last segment of an insect's body
anal cell: cell A of either the forewing or hind wing
anepimeron: the dorsal portion of the mesepimeron
antenna: the sensory organ emerging from the front of the head, usually between the compound eyes and above the clypeus; includes the flagellum, scape, and pedicel
antennal socket: where the first segment is attached to the head and allows the insect to move and rotate the antenna easily
anterior: of or towards the front or head
anterodorsal: anterior of the dorsum
apex: the end or most distal area of any structure
apical: towards the apex; farthest away from the body
aposematic: having warning coloration, indicating that an insect is unpalatable, venomous, or otherwise dangerous
basal: towards the base; closest to the body
base: the beginning or most proximal area of any structure
basitarsus: the basal tarsomere; also known as tarsomere 1
bifid: divided or forked into two branches or parts
bipectinate: describing pectinate antennae of which each segment has two projections, one on either side
bivoltine: describing a life cycle with two generations per calendar year
brood: the young of an insect
brood parasite: a parasite of immature insects
carina: a ridge or raised edge
cell: a membranous area of the wing between veins; in a nest or honeycomb, a small chamber in which the egg is placed and larva develops
cercus: structures emerging posterolaterally from the apex of the abdomen
clavate: club-like thickening toward the tip; often used to describe antennae
clypeus: the sclerotized area on the front of the head located between the antennal insertions and labrum
cocoon: a silky case spun by the larvae of many insects for protection in the pupal stage
collateral damage: additional but subordinate; secondary; unintentional
compound eye: an eye consisting of an array of numerous small visual units
concave: describing an inward curving surface, opposite of convex
conspecific: belonging to the same species
convex: describing an outward curving surface, opposite of concave
corbicula: a flattened area on the tibia; pollen basket
costa: the robust vein on the anterior margin of the wing; vein C
coxa: the first and most basal segment of the leg
cross-fertile: also called Allogamy, the fusion of male and female gametes (sex cells) from different individuals of the same species
defoliate: to eliminate a sizeable portion of the foliage of a tree, either by feeding on the leaves or otherwise causing a severe decrease in the photosynthetic ability
diapause: a non-active period of no development
dimorphic: having two forms, usually in the context of a taxon with different male and female morphology
distal: furthest from the body, opposite of proximal
distitarsus: the apical tarsomere
dorsal: of or on the top surface of the body or structure
drone: a male bee in a colony of social bees, which does not work but can fertilize a queen
emarginate: notched at the margin
endemic: both native and unique to a particular region
episternum: the anterior part of the thoracic pleuron
eusocial: showing an advanced level of social organization, in which a single female or caste produces the offspring and nonreproductive individuals cooperate in caring for the young
extant: in existence; opposite of extinct
extinct: not in existence; opposite of extant
fecund: describing an organism with high fecundity
fecundity: ability to produce a high number of offspring; potential reproductive abundance
femur: the third segment of the leg between the trochanter and the tibia
filiform: threadlike; slender and of even diameter
flagellomere: a segment of the flagellum of the antenna
flagellum: the third section of the antennae that includes all the segments beyond the pedicel; segments of the flagellum are known as flagella
fons: the sclerotized anterodorsal part of the head
forecoxa: the coxa of the foreleg
forefemur: the femur of the foreleg
foreleg: the first and anterior-most leg of the body
foretarsus: the tarsus of the foreleg
foretibia: the tibia of the foreleg
forewing: the anterior wing of each pair of wings; usually the largest wing of the pair
frass: solid larval excrement
furrow: a groove or linear depression
gaster: the swollen part of the abdomen behind the waist
gastral: of or relating to the stomach or digestive tract
gena: the area of the head between the compound eye and clypeus; also called the cheek
girdle: cut through the bark all the way around (a tree or branch), typically in order to kill it or to kill a branch to make the tree more fruitful
hemolymph: the "blood" of an insect, a fluid plasma containing nucleated cells
herbaceous: describing a plant that does not have a woody stem and is often close to the ground; e.g., grasses, forbs, and vegetable plants
hibernacula: a shelter occupied during the winter by a dormant insect
hind leg: the third and posterior-most leg
hind wing: the posterior wing of each pair of wings
hindocelli: the two basal ocelli with 3 present
Holarctic: describing the region of the Northern Hemisphere that includes both the Nearctic and Palearctic regions
holoptic: eyes that meet along the median dorsal line of the head
holotype: the specimen designated as the type species or type subspecies
hyaline: transparent; glossy
instar: a stage of development between molts in insects; often is a larval stage
integument: the epidermis and cuticle of the exoskeleton surface
katepimeron: ventral section of the mesepimeron
labial palpus: appendage emerging laterally from the labium
labrum: a sclerotized structure on the front of the head between the clypeus and mandibles
lance: the dorsal portion of the ovipositor; paired but fused into one
lancet: the ventral portion of the ovipositor; paired
larva: the immature stage of holometabolous insects
lateral: of or towards the side of the body
malar space: the minimum distance between the base of the mandibles and the ventral margin of the compound eyes
mandible: the primary mouthpart used for biting and chewing; jaw
maxillary palpus: appendage emerging laterally from the maxilla; often segmented
mesepimeron: the dorsal portion of the mesopleuron, located under the wing
mesepisternum: the ventral portion of the mesopleuron, located between the forecoxae and the midcoxae
meson: the midline of the body
mesonotum: the second segment of the dorsum of the thorax
mesopleuron: the central lateral part of the thorax includes the mesepisternum and mesepimeron
mesoscutellum: the anterior section of the scutellum
mesoscutum: the central and dorsal portion of the thorax between the scutellum and postnotum
metanotum: the last segment of the dorsum of the thorax
metapleuron: the posterior lateral part of the thorax including the metepimeron and metepisternum
metascutellum: the posterior section of the scutellum
metasoma: is the posterior section of the insect body
metatarsomere: the posterior tarsomere
metepimeron: the dorsal portion of the metapleuron
metepisternum: the ventral portion of the metapleuron
midleg: the second and middle leg between the foreleg and hindleg
midocellus diameter: width of the middle ocellus measured from side to side in frontal view; used to measure facial dimension
monophyletic: describing a group of all known descendants arising from a common ancestor
multivoltine: describing a life cycle with many generations per calendar year
mystax: a brush of stiff hairs on the lower part of the face
Nearctic: describing the region of the Northern Hemisphere that includes North America and south through northern Mexico
Neotropical: describing the region of the Western Hemisphere that is tropical; includes southern Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America
New World: the Western Hemisphere; the continents of North and South America
nocturnal: active at night
notum: the dorsum of the thorax above pleural region; separated into pronotum, mesonotum, and metanotum
nuptial flight: a flight of sexually mature social insects in which mating take place and which is usually a prelude to the forming of a new colony
occiput: the posterior surface of the head
ocellus: a simple bead-like eye, often on the dorsum of the head in groups of 1-3
oculomalar space: the distance between the eye and the mandible
Old World: The Eastern Hemisphere; the continents of Asia, Australia, Africa, and Europe
oviposit: to deposit or lay eggs, especially by means of an ovipositor
ovipositor: the female organ that deposits eggs and is used to drill into plane tissue, located at the apex of the abdomen, made up of the lance and lancet
Palearctic: describing the region of the Northern Hemisphere that includes Europe, Asia south to the Himalayas and Northern Africa
palpomere: a segment of a palp
palpus: jointed structure emerging from the labium and maxilla
paraphyletic: describing a group with members arising from a common ancestor, but not including all of the known descendants of that ancestor
parasitoid: an insect whose larvae live as parasites that eventually kill their hosts
pectinate: comb-like in form
pedicel: the second antennal segment, between the scape and flagellum
Perennial: living for several years
petiole: the narrowed region between the thorax and abdomen also called the "wasp waist"; a slender stalk
pheromone: a chemical substance produced and released into the environment by an animal
phylogeny: evolutionary history of a group of organisms
phytophagous: feeding on plants
phytotoxic: toxic to plants; poisons and sometimes kills plant tissue
polyphyletic: describing a group with members arising from different phylogenies, not sharing a common ancestor
postenal: located posterior to the gena; of the postgena
postocellar distance: the dorsal portion of the head located between the occiput and ocelli
postocular: located behind the eye
preapical: close to, but anterior to, the apex
predator: an animal that naturally preys on others
prepupa: the active, non-feeding life stage in which the larva prepares to enter the pupal stage
proboscis: an elongated sucking mouthpart that is typically tubular and flexible
proleg: in a larva, the paired leg-like appendages of the abdomen that assist movement; the "legs" beyond the 3 pairs of thoracic legs on a larval body
pronotal: relating to the pronotum
pronotum: the anterodorsal part of the thorax, often situated posterior to the head
propleuron: a lateral scleral sclerite located between the pronotum and episternum near the anterior of the body
proximal: nearest to body, opposite of distal
pubescent: describing a surface with short, dense hairs
pulvillus: soft pads used for surface adhesion
punctate: covered with many small punctures, holes or pits
pupa: the intermediate and inactive life stage of holometabolous insects, between larva and adult
pupate: for a larva to become a pupa
queen: a reproductive female in a colony of social hymenoptera
radial cell: a cell on the wing located in the radial sector on the apical half of the wing; also known as 1R1, 1Rs, 2Rs, 3Rs
scape: the first antennal segment
sclerotized: hardened, rigid
scutellum: a central part of the notum, located between the scutum and postnotum
scutum: the central part of the notum located anterior to the scutellum, divided into two parts
serrate: toothed; often describing the ovipositor or antennae
sessile: attached directly; describing the broad and complete connection of the thorax to abdomen; opposite of petiolate
seta: hair-like structure
setaceous: bristle-like in form
spatulate: spoon-shaped; slender at the base and widened and rounded at the apex
speciose: describing a taxon that includes a high number of species
spiracle: an external opening to the respiratory system of an insect; appears as a pore or small hole
sternite: a sclerotized segment of the abdominal sternum
sternum: the ventralarea of the thorax or abdomen
submarginal cell: a cell on the wing located below the anterior margin and surrounding the stigma on the apical side of the wing; also known as 2R1, 3R1, 4R1
subsocial: living in aggregations but lacking organizational structure as in true social insects; can describes insects with tendencies to protect or care for their young, feed gregariously, and build cocoon masses
suture: a marked line where two plates are fused
sympatry: the occurrence of two or more populations sharing the same geographic area and coming into contact frequently
tarsal claw: sharpened appendage emerging from the apex of the tarsus
tarsomere: a segment of the tarsus
tarsus: the fifth and last segment of the leg
taxonomy: the branch of science concerned with classification
tegula: a thin, plate-like structure emerging from the base of the forewing
tergite: a sclerotized segment of the tergum
tergum: the dorsal area of the abdomen
thoracic: of or on the thorax
thorax: the second and middle segment of the body, between the head and abdomen
tibia: the fourth segment of the leg, between the femur and the tarsus
trochanter: the second segment of the leg, between the coxa and femur
truncate: ending abruptly; cut off squarely; opposite of tapering
tubercle: a raised, round bump or protuberance
tyloid: a large longitudinal keel or sensory patch on the ventral side of several flagellar segments
univoltine: describing an insect with a life cycle of one generation per year
vein: a tube-like, often darkened, stucture on the wings
venation: the network of veins on a wing
ventral: of or on the underside of the body or structure
vertex: the dorsal portion of the head between the compound eyes, between the occiput and frons
worker: a member of the nonreproductive, laboring caste in semisocial and eusocial species
Authors: L.S. Kimsey, T.M. Gilligan, J.M Carpenter, A.H. Smith-Pardo, A.J. Redford
Content last updated June 2021
idtools.org
